A South African mother, Gosiame Sithole, 37, who said she had given birth to a world record-breaking ten babies fabricated the pregnancy, it emerged on Wednesday.
It was reported that said she had seven boys and three girls in Pretoria this month.
But doubts emerged when the father, Teboho Tsotetsi, said the he had yet to meet his children and accused his lover of a hoax to make money. Miss Sithole was then admitted to a psychiatric hospital.
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On Wednesday an investigation into the dectuplets mystery concluded. It was revealed that doctors at Tembisa Hospital near the South African capital found Miss Sithole ‘did not give birth to any babies in recent times’.
The report conducted by local government officials added: ‘It has also been established that she was not pregnant in recent times.’ Miss Sithole remains in hospital for observation.
The government also announced legal action against Piet Rampedi, the news editor who first covered the story with Pretoria News.
Rampedi had stood by the report and accused the government of a ‘cover-up’ when they questioned if the tale was true.
In a statement, the Gauteng Provincial Government said: ‘Miss Sithole was admitted to Tembisa hospital on 18 June 2021, and various medical tests were conducted on her to determine her state of health.
‘Initially, she was meant to be kept at the hospital for 72 hours, which lapsed on Tuesday.
‘Upon completing their preliminary examination, her doctors recommended that she be kept at the hospital for a further seven days for further observation, in accordance with the Mental Healthcare Act.
‘It has now been established by medical practitioners that Miss Sithole did not give birth to any babies in recent times. It has also been established that she was not pregnant in recent times.
The statement added that the government had ‘instructed the state attorney to institute legal action against Mr Rampedi and the Independent Group [which owns Pretoria News].’
The editor Rampedi has apologised for not checking Miss Sithole’s claims.
He sent his staff an email which said he knew the couple involved and had no reason to doubt them. It read: ‘I used no investigative tool or checklist.
‘They had no reason to lie to me about the pregnancy. For me, it was a story of celebration.
‘Hence, I never demanded documentary proof of the pregnancy, such as scanners and clinic cards, for instance, as I would normally do with an investigative story.
‘However, judging by the sudden turn of events and the reaction from the government and our detractors, I was wrong.’